Tirupati : Tomato farmers in the erstwhile Chittoor district are facing severe financial distress as market prices have plummeted this season, highlighting the unpredictable nature of tomato pricing. The cycle of fluctuating rates continues, with farmers receiving high prices one season, increasing production the next, and then suffering losses due to price crashes.

This season, the situation is particularly dire. On Thursday, a 15-kg box of tomatoes fetched a maximum of just Rs 90, with the lowest price recorded at Rs 30. These low returns have left many farmers unable to cover even their harvesting costs, let alone recoup their overall investment.

In the western parts of the district, tomato cultivation in summer is more prominent which saw a significant increase this year. In Palamaner horticulture division alone, the cultivation area expanded from the usual 5,000 hectares to 7,000 hectare, leading to a production surplus. Currently, nearly 600 hectares are in the harvesting phase, further flooding the market with supply.

Normally, the farmers get a good business from the traders in the neighbouring states—Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana—who typically buy tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh.

However, as those states have sufficient production this time, they refrained from purchasing Chittoor district which led to the crisis. The farmers were now forced to rely solely on local buyers, causing prices to tumble.

Additionally, a steady influx of tomatoes from Anantapur, with nearly 700 metric tonnes reaching markets daily, 300 metric tonnes of which enter Chittoor, has further saturated the market and dragged prices down.

Desperate for relief, farmers are urging government intervention. A farmer said that they have spent nearly Rs 2 lakh per acre on cultivation, including seeds, fertilisers, and labour. But at these rates, we are struggling to recover even half of our investment. Another farmer stated that many farmers are contemplating abandoning their crops in the fields rather than incurring additional expenses on harvesting and transportation.

However, it was learnt that the agriculture department has been invited tenders for tomato exports through the National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), set to begin on April 2 which may bring some respite for the farmers. Their hopes are on the resumption of exports which is the only opportunity for them to get profitable prices.